FF-AC soundtrack

Thanks to a friend from college I got a listen at this.

It's a very disjointed soundtrack, mostly instrumental, and I believe anyone who has "not" watched the movie will completely not understand this soundtrack. A lot of random tracks in there which I would not have put in, some of them sounding like mere ambient background sound rather than proper arrangements.

Of course there are some gems. There are a few piano solo pieces, which are as good as any of the compositions coming from an FF series. Character themes, and in particular the Tifa battle scene song is quite mind boggling. = )

There's a fair amount of J-Rock compositions. Some are obviously meant to be listened to in sequence, as they were played in the movie. Chase of Highway is a hard driving rock beat, with a repeating guiter riff that verges on being repetetive, but imo saved by the overall excellence of the composition. =p The frenetic pace continues on into their edgy and manic rendition of Jenova, done mostly in the minor key - then a vaguely chaotic yet harmonic guitar lead emerges at the end, transitioning to a major key. Gives a very nice imagery, like suddenly hearing a clear voice cutting through the babble of a hundred lesser voices. Ends on a resounding chord, fades, then transitions into the iconic song, "one winged angel : sephiroth".

This song is best described as a rock song with full orchestral and choir backup. Turns out very rich sounding, it's quite amazing actually that it doesn't sound muddied with so much at the composer's fingertips. There's still a clearness and clarity to it, and the interesting chorus of sounds is very memorable. Compare this to some of Yuki Kajiura's compositions which tend to at times get over-heavy, like a painter splashing on too much paint on a painting, so that listening to it becomes heavy and burdensome. Very convincing ending to this song.

The track immediately after this is the resolution to this series of songs, "cloud smiles". A clean, clear and simple theme, orchetral, a nice contrast and resolution to the rock themes earlier. Forgive me if I am wrong, it's been awhile since I've sat through one of these performances, but I think the lead is played by a clarinet.

free will and other ramblings

I had a strange dream. Waking up from one of these is like rushing to the surface after being drowned, bursting upwards and outwards gasping for air.

I blame the alcohol (it's the easiest thing to blame for all the world's ills). I had a few glasses of remarkably good white wine, which I really enjoyed.

I rather suspect the quality of my speech, or my voice inflection changes when I have been drinking. No one has yet told me this, so I don't know if I am just imagining things. This is the problem with subjective reality.

For example, in a dream : do you actually have free will, or do you just think you have free will? Are you responsible for your actions while you are asleep? Does the fact you are willing to commit a cold blooded murder of your rival in real life while asleep indicate your true feelings and intentions, or are they like watching movies you truly have no control over?

I know for sure we are likely to dream about the things and people we obsess about the most. And for dreams about people we know, they probably act in character, exactly how we expect them to act.

So perhaps a more revealing feature of dreams is not what YOU do, but rather how other people act towards you.

So in this dream I am walking past the train station, and I meet an old friend I hadn't seen or thought about in years, and she gives me a hug. Simple everyday actions are infused with feelings in dreams : and this hug tasted of desperation.

hmmm

Yet another article on this topic, The Science Of Sexual Orientation by CBS.

(yes i also went to school with sparkly nail polish once or twice =p but telling anymore than that goes into TMI territory, and not anything I can tell anyone ever, at least not at this point I think, ehe)

Listening to a pair of old CDs - by Passion Worship Band. Till this day I don't know who they are, or what they are -> it's not a band, not a person, but more of a movement perhaps. I have no idea who sang or performed the songs - they are live recordings - but some of them are truly entrancing.

This is the Passion One Day Live CD. Recording and packaging what is essentially a single day worship conference just feels wrong and smacks of commercialization, but I guess if you were there, it would serve as a keepsake or memory of the event. And for those who weren't, it allows a small glimpse into what it was, I guess.

I love the singer who sang the cover one pure and holy passion. She is what Passion is. Never could find out who she was.

omg

just discovered that Cassandra Claire has updated with Draco Veritas chapter 17a since... well, awhile back. I swear she takes 4 months per chapter or something. Such a slow pace o_o but I do rather like the story she's taken us on.

Draco x Ginny please kthx =p

Sometimes

You wonder whether someone has changed, or whether it's you that's changed. Everything in life is relative, after all.